"You're… Gym Leader Grey, aren't you?"
The low, confident voice came from the woman beside him.
Grey followed the sound, giving her a quick once-over—then his gaze settled just above the Poké Balls at her waist.
[Pokémon: Lapras]
[Pokémon: Jynx]
[Pokémon: …]
Six Poké Balls on her belt, each reading out crisp and clear in Grey's mind—and the levels were no joke.
That, plus her presence, pointed to one answer.
"You're… Lorelei of the Elite Four?" he said, just loud enough for the two of them.
"Let's talk on the deck," Lorelei replied with a small smile, not denying it.
Grey nodded, and they stepped out together.
Clatter—
They pushed the door open. Sea wind rushed in.
Aside from sailors, no one else was around.
In other words, Grey and Lorelei were the only passengers here.
"Honored guests, is there anything we can help you with?" a bandage-wrapped sailor approached with a smile plastered on.
"We'd like to get some air and walk a bit. No need to fuss over us," Lorelei said, fingertips nudging her glasses; the lenses caught the sailor's grin.
"In that case, we won't disturb your rest," he said, and the sailors peeled away.
The deck fell quiet—just Grey and Lorelei.
Grey watched their backs disappear with a thoughtful look, then raised his hand; blue light gathered in his palm.
"Give me a second."
He closed his eyes.
Aura rippled outward.
When he was sure no one had been left skulking nearby, Grey chose a tucked-away spot and sat. Lorelei took the seat opposite.
"Didn't think our first meeting would be like this," she said, taking off her glasses; clear eyes met his.
If the League hadn't flagged him, Lorelei might never have realized Kanto had a Gym Leader who kept this low a profile while doing this much work.
In just a few days, he'd captured a pile of Team Rocket grunts.
Even compared to trainers directly under League HQ, Grey's record ranked near the top.
"Same. I didn't expect the League to prioritize the S.S. Anne this much," Grey said. "If someone at your level is aboard, I can relax a little."
"Of course, not until the incident's truly over," he added, falling into thought.
If they'd dispatched an Elite Four member, the S.S. Anne mattered.
But that also meant the League's top-end power back home had thinned.
If Team Rocket didn't know, fine.
If they did, they'd move.
"Don't worry. This is a black-ops assignment. No one outside our circle will know," Lorelei said with a light laugh, hands resting on her knees.
"..."
Hearing that, Grey had the distinct feeling the universe's favorite law was about to trigger.
"Let's skip the what-ifs," he said, changing tack. "Do you have a read on their high-end muscle this time?"
"We do."
Lorelei nodded, lashes lifting as she lowered her voice.
"Originally, this operation on the S.S. Anne was orchestrated by three elite members. But per our source, an Executive joined at the last minute."
"An Executive… which one?"
Grey tapped his chin, sorting through Rocket hierarchy in his head.
The 'three cadres,' the 'Beasts trio,' the 'four Executives'…
In Adventures, the three cadres were Sabrina, Lt. Surge, and Koga—likely courted by Rocket, likely declined. Clean, for now.
The 'Three Beasts' were Adventure-only.
The 'Four Executives' were game-aligned.
By elimination, the on-site leader was probably one of the Four Executives.
Which one? That depended on how good Lorelei's intel net was.
"One of the Team Rocket Executives, but we don't know which," Lorelei said with a small shake of the head. "They're too careful. That's all the source could give."
"That's enough," Grey said, nodding lightly, and began stacking pieces.
"On average, the Executives fight at Elite Four level. Of the known power on this ship, besides you, I'm the only one who can trade blows—briefly—with an Elite."
"Agreed," Lorelei said. "What's your take, Gym Leader Grey?"
"I don't think an Executive is their only card," Grey said, eyes narrowing as he tapped a Poké Ball.
"In every clash I've had with Rocket—not every time, but eight or nine out of ten—there's always something like a 'boom' Pokémon tucked away as a failsafe."
He wasn't exaggerating. Since rescuing Primeape, he'd crossed Rocket more than once.
Weezing, Electrode—Self-Destruct, Explosion—he'd seen enough attempts at 'mutual destruction' to be numb.
Beating an Executive was doable.
The problem was shielding the passengers.
"Lorelei, can your Ice-types freeze down a wide swath of gym-level Pokémon in one go?" he asked.
"Of course," she said, and even with a mask on, you could hear the smile. "Give me a little time and I can freeze even Elite-caliber Pokémon without much fuss."
Lorelei sat in that space between Elite Four and Champion.
Online, people joked she was the last door to clear before Lance could wear the crown.
Type advantage helped, sure—but without real strength, typing was just a meme.
In short, Lorelei was a Champion's gatekeeper.
"Good."
Grey thought a beat and laid it out. "Before they move, we split up. Work in the shadows, map their strength, and confirm if they've staged any Self-Destruct/Explosion users."
"That's as sound a plan as we'll get right now," Lorelei said, more impressed than she expected to be. He'd covered the angles fast.
"Oh—one more thing," Grey added. "We've lost network. Get a message to the League in advance, just in case."
"Understood."
She took her leave first.
…
After a short rest, the temperature around him dipped.
Grey stretched and looked at a patch of deck not far away.
"Since you're here, why not come out and catch up?"
He called toward the spot.
"Gen—gar?!" (You can sense me?!)
A pudgy purple Gengar poked out of the floorboards, spooked.
"Even without Aura, I know it's you," Grey said with a small smile, motioning it over. "Come do me a favor."
"Gen—gar?" (Huh? What is it?)
Gengar drifted close, ear to him.
"Here's the deal—short and sweet," Grey murmured.
"Gen—gar!" (Got it—consider it done!)
Gengar cackled and sank into the deck, off to do as Grey asked.
Once it was gone, Grey walked to the bow, spread his arms, and let the sea wind hit his face.
He tilted his head, smiling.
"You didn't think this operation was flawless, did you?"
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